Three PMSD men to be charged

By Ruwan Weerakoon

The three PMSD men had allegedly abducted the boutique owner and demanded Rs. 10,000, but the man in turn had informed the Kompa-nnaveediya Police who arrested the three PMSD men last Saturday. However, another group of PMSD personnel are alleged to have entered the police station on the following day and forced the police to release the three suspects on police bail. DIG Ignatius said the matter was to be handed over to the Attorney General to charge the three suspects.

He said that disciplinary action would also be taken against the PMSD personnel who stormed the police station. Meanwhile the boutique owner, R. Gunasiri told The Sunday Times he could not sleep in his house as he felt his life was in danger.

Mixed reaction to President's invitation for crisis talks

The meeting with the UNP was called off after the UNP nominated party chairman Charitha Ratwatte to meet the President.

The CWC has agreed to meet the President for the second time tomorrow while the JVP and the TULF have sought fresh appointments.

The Presidential Secretariat issued surprise invitations to several political parties on Thursday aimed at discussing the current crisis faced by the country. 

UNP assistant leader Gamini Athukorale told The Sunday Times that the UNP was not interested in talking to the President who changed attitudes by the hour and wooed the opposition only when she faced a crisis.

"We will not ask for fresh dates, and will nominate our representative accordingly. We are willing to consider any future invitations if they are issued with acceptable and definite guidelines for talks," he said.

Meanwhile, the TULF has indicated to the President its willingness to discuss the present crisis when the party General Secretary, R. Sampanthan, returns from India, and requested a date after August 6. 

In this backdrop, the CWC which has shown a willingness recently to support the opposition call for a 'no' vote at the upcoming referendum will hold crucial talks with the President tomorrow to resolve matters pertaining to the proposed electoral reforms.

The CWC, which held its first round of talks on Friday, told President Kumaratunga that the PR system provided a better representation for the minorities and that any electoral reforms should consider this vital aspect. The party will hold crucial talks tomorrow prior to announcing its decision on the proposed referendum.

The JVP also declined to hold discussions last Friday, as the proposed date did not provide it with sufficient time to consult its working committee and has sought a fresh appointment.

JVP spokesman Wimal Weerawansa told The Sunday Times that the party was willing to discuss the present political crisis.

The UNP has decided to explain to the public that opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has not requested the premiership in a national government headed by President Kumaratunga when the two leader met on July 4 as stated in the state media.

In the aftermath of the attack by President Kumaratunga, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickrem-enayake and others, the UNP has decided to explain that there was no wheeler dealing involved when the President held crisis talks with the UNP leader just prior to the prorogation.

UNP assistant leader Gamini Atukorale told The Sunday Times that on the contrary, it was President Kumaratunga who requested that she be allowed to retain the finance ministry portfolio until her government resigned in the event of no confidence motion was passed.

Mr. Athukorale vouching for the veracity of the statement said that the UNP leader held an emergency discussion with the President on short notice, which did not allow him time to discuss matters with the UNP political committee before attending the discussion.

He added that the President had requested for a period ranging from one to two years more to enable for her to bow out gracefully from mainstream politics. 

Mr. Athukorale added that the UNP would campaign for the 'pot' symbol along with other opposition political parties at the Referendum scheduled for August 21. 

The Alliance for Democracy held a public rally yesterday in Anuradhapura .It will hold public rallies in Badulla and Matara on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Transfer unjust 

According to reports SSP Gunasekera was transferred after some disturbances occurred in Ampara town on July 15. Sources said SSP Gunasekera had acted fast and firmly to bring the situation under control and had taken five persons into custody. He had been commended by the IGP for his effective action. But he was transferred later. The sources said the SSP had got a call from a senior official in a VVIP's office asking that the five suspects be released. He turned it down and two hours later got transfer orders. The Digamadulla YMBA in a letter to the President said the transfer of this efficient officer was a shame. It appealed to her that SSP Gunasekera be sent back to Ampara .

In brief

UNP, JVP defeat PA in south

The motion which described the prorogation as illegal and undemocratic was passed by 25 votes to 14. The JVP which gives conditional support to the PA in the council switched over to oppose it along with the UNP.

Provincial Council sources said the PA administration was not obliged to resign as the motion approved was not a motion of no confidence in the administration.

PA going for seven in every booth

By Sunil Jayatilleke

According to a schedule sent to the Returning Officer in Anuradhapura, district representatives have been nominated for the SLFP, the LSSP, the CP, the PA, the UNP Alternative Group, Desha Vimukthi Janatha Party and the Democratic United National Front.

Informed sources said this pattern would be followed in other areas also.

Agents rap bureau for apathy

"Due to the apathy of the Foreign Employment Bureau our migrant workers are unaware of all opportunities available to them," the ALFEA said at a meeting which took place at the Bank of Ceylon premises. 

"We did not know any of these facilities," ALFEA President Suraj Dandeniya said, adding "We never knew that BoC is giving Rs. 25,000 for migrant workers." 

This loan could be used by the SLBFE to purchase the ticket for the migrant worker from Bank of Ceylon Travels, a subsidiary of the bank, Manager Trade promotion & Exports Advisory Services Unit, Bank of Ceylon L.V.R. Bandara said. 

No breakthrough in Kandy horror

Police last night said that no arrests had been made in connections with the killings and the house had been put under police guard till the investigations were completed.

Police said they had recorded the statement of a domestic aide who had been living with the Seneviratne family for a long period.

According to investigations, the assailants had strangled the professor's wife in the daughter's room while they took the 11-year-old girl to her mother's room and tied her to a bed. The assailants later tried to strangle her with a rope.

When the police arrived at the scene, two hours after the crime, the girl was still alive. She died in the hospital. 

The police party was said to be unaware that the girl was still alive and allegedly made no attempt to take the girl to the hospital. A senior police officer who arrived there had seen that the girl was still alive and directed the girl be taken to hospital immediately. The funerals of the mother and daughter were held in Kandy on Friday.

Constituent assembly proposal shot down

President Kumaratunga last Sunday said if the required 2/3 majority was not received in parliament for the proposed constitution, she would form a constituent assembly and present the constitution for approval.

However, several political parties this week hit out strongly against the move calling on the President to withhold the referendum.

UNP spokeman Dr. Karunasena Kodithuwakku told The Sunday Times the government would appoint a bogus assembly and pass the constitution

"The assembly will consist of all PA supporters and then will boast that they have got the mandate to change the constitution. At present the government knows that it cannot win the referendum. All this will be done bypassing parliament and then present a new constitution. The President will then take the law unto her hands," Dr. Kodithuwakku said.

He said the UNP was keen to defeat the referendum and would carry out a mass protest campaign.

Meanwhile, the JVP had pointed out that the President was using her dictatorial powers to pass the constitution and had vowed to fight the move.

JVP spokesperson Wimal Weerawansa told The Sunday Times the people would be forced to give a "yes" vote for the government.

"The JVP will do everything possible to defeat the referendum. The party will educate the people on what the government is planning to do and ask them to vote for the pot," he said.

Sihala Urumaya leader Tilak Karunaratne said the party was against the formation of a constituent assembly. He said the government wants to avoid defeat in the referendum and the impeachment. However, Minister Batty Weerakoon told The Sunday Times the President would consult all parties and civil societies before presenting the constitution. Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya president S. L. Gunesekera said the people had once again been asked to vote for a "non" question.

AG delays case against Felix

By Laila Nasry

Legal sources said Attorney General K.C. Kamalasabayson had asked Senior Superintendent F. Burke to delay the filing of the charges against Mr. Perera as the parties concerned had asked time to make representations before him.

Sources said the AG took the decision after Mr. Perera's attorney met him on June 19, requesting him to re-examine the charges. Attorney Asoka Weerasooriya is reported to have said police had not submitted statements from several witnesses and draft charges had been framed based on part of the investigations. 

An official of the Attorney General's department said Dr. Jayawardena's lawyers had been asked to make representations to the AG.

However Dr. Jayawardena said he could not understand how Mr. Perera's attorney came to know that police were seeking the AG's advice.

He said if he was to make any representations, it should be before a court of law.

The AG's department sent draft charges to SSP Burke on April 3 to institute proceedings in the Magistrate's Court against Mr. Perera.

Dr. Jayawardena in his complaint to the Peliyagoda Police said on October 17, 2000 Mr. Perera together with a group of more than 50 thugs armed with T-56 rifles and other weapons had entered a meeting on environmental pollution in Ekala, verbally abused and threatened him with death. He also alleged that thugs who accompanied Mr. Perera had assaulted those present at the meeting.

Dr. Jayawardena said despite his complaint to the police and representations to Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and the Inspector General of Police no action had been taken.

Air Force security for cricket 

Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Ajith Wijesundara said the Air Force had been deployed to provide security adding that "they are deployed to search persons entering the grounds."

Police have been deployed within the grounds to provide security for the spectators and players.Police said it was not only the security threats internally, but at least one international player was also under threat.

Earlier Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was under threat from a extremist group threatening to kidnap him in India. Seperate security has been given to the cricketers.

Which way JVP?

Clinically Yours - By Dr. Who

Some may even consider this to be a defining moment in the rise, fall and resurrection of the JVP. After all, five years ago who in this country cared about what the JVP's plans for the economy were? They were socialists who preached a closed economy that had been discarded even in Russia and China and everywhere else except maybe Cuba and even those who took the JVP seriously didn't take its economic strategies seriously. But now, we have to pay to hear what Vimal has to say about it- certainly the JVP must have come of age, even though it may be thanks to Rauf Hakeem. 

All this is well and good and we are supposed to stand and applaud when former gal katas wielding insurgents decide to enter the democratic mainstream and stay there- at least for a while. But of late, the reds seem to be fighting shy of taking a stand and that is not a good thing for a party that has been presented with a chance of making its presence democratically felt for the first time in national politics. 

Consider recent events: the JVP supports the no-confidence motion; it then says it is against the PA government but it will also not help to form an alternative government. It keeps away from the protest in Parliament and the now notorious jana bala meheyuma, but says it is against the referendum. And now, it says it cannot support the call to re-summon Parliament because that would be unconstitutional! To put it mildly, the average man- disgusted with the two main parties and on the lookout for a third force but still suspicious of the bona fides of the JVP- is confused. And, the JVP's prevarication in taking a stand is leading to a lingering suspicion that it is playing for time until it strikes a deal with the PA. Moreover, there is no clear leader for the party: Vimal sahodaraya is a good orator and Tilvin sahodaraya looks an emaciated version of Rohana Wijeweera but we are told that Somawansa Amerasinghe is the Number One- and most of our electorate doesn't know what he looks like. If Vimal asks those marketing chaps at SLIM for any advice on Tuesday they will tell him that this is not the way to market a product: consistency, visibility and one good trade name are important and the JVP lacks all three. What next then, for the JVP? While Vimal sahodaraya addresses SLIM on 'Today's economy and tomorrow's marketing' he should also realize that today's marketing of the JVP will decide its fate tomorrow. Nevertheless on Tuesday, for 400 bucks we are almost sure the SLIM chaps will get their money's worth!. 

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